By Salman Siddiqui/Staff Reporter

The internationally-acclaimed Cirque du Soleil production, Dralion, is all set to dazzle audiences at Aspire Zone through its 13 performances that begin on September 19 and continue until September 28.
Mark Shaub, artistic director for Dralion, said his team was excited as ever to perform in Qatar and hoped to provide the audiences with an unforgettable entertainment experience.  
Fusing the 3,000-year-old tradition of Chinese acrobatic arts with the multidisciplinary approach of Cirque du Soleil, Dralion draws its inspiration from Eastern philosophy and its never-ending quest for harmony between humans and nature.
The show’s name is derived from its two emblematic creatures: the dragon, symbolising the East, and the lion, symbolising the West.
The local media was given a tour yesterday of the preparations and rehearsals taking place at Aspire Zone before the show opens this Thursday.
A publicist of the show informed that 54 performers from 15 countries were participating in Dralion. “Half of the cast is from China, while the rest of the performers are from Australia, Argentina, Brazil, the US, Russia, Canada and Belarus,” she said.
Also, more than 150 different props and 3,000 different pieces of costumes tailored fit for the performers were being used.
Artistic director Shaub said they have performed Dralion all over the world and every time the feedback has been tremendous. “We see different reactions in different parts of the world to the shows. There are different cultures and habits of people as to how they approach a performance. In some places of the world, the music will affect more, while in other parts it’s the clowns and the comedy,” he explained.
He said they also make certain adjustments to be culturally sensitive to the countries where they perform. One of the adjustments is in the costumes, where efforts are made to show less skin; also, the clowns of the show are reminded about the customs of the country. “It’s never our intention to shock or offend anybody in the world. The adjustments we make are very small. In fact, 99.9% of the show you see here will be the same as the one you will see in the United States. We just make sure that the show is for everybody,” he said.
In Dralion, the four elements that govern the natural order take on a human form. Thus embodied, each element is represented by its own evocative colour: air is blue; water is green; fire is red; earth is ochre. In the world of Dralion, cultures blend, man and nature are one, and balance is achieved.
The show schedule is September 19 (Thursday), 6pm and 9.30pm; September 20 (Friday), 6pm and 9.30pm; September 21 (Saturday), 6pm and 9.30pm; September 23 (Monday), 7pm; September 26 (Thursday), 6pm and 9.30pm; September 27 (Friday), 4pm and 7.30pm; and September 28 (Saturday), 4pm and 7.30pm.
There are different categories for tickets, including Bronze (QR250), Silver (QR350), Gold (QR400), Platinum (QR500), VIP2 (QR1,000), VIP1 (QR1,100) and VVIP (QR2,000).
They can be bought either online (www.cirquedusoleil.com) or from the Jaidah Automotive-Chevrolet Khalifa showroom.
Jaidah Automotive is the official automotive sponsor of the show. “We at Jaidah Automotive-Chevrolet are as excited as everyone else to witness this scintillating, overwhelming and extremely entertaining Dralion performance of Cirque du Soleil,” said Sami Skaff, automotive marketing and product development manager at Jaidah Automotive. “Indeed, our partnership with this incredible and spectacular event is in line with our core activities of bringing the much-admired and world-acclaimed Chevrolet brand and of delivering supreme products and services to customers.”
“We look forward to welcoming more customers to our Khalifa showroom as well as being with them to enjoy the show,” he added.